In general, animal shelters have been heavy, difficult to move, and almost impossible to clean. Previous shelters will not accommodate a tether without tangling or restricting the range of movement of the animal. Dog shelters are often placed against another structure to prevent the dog from winding the chain or tether around the shelter. This, in effect, cuts in half the possible range of movement of the animal. The shape of the presently disclosed shelter in combination with a swivel arm on the top of the shelter allows the dog to roam anywhere within a radius of the length of the tether. The design of the presently disclosed swivel arm is simple yet efficient. Previously disclosed tether means, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,924, consists of complicated mechanical devices including a track with trolley attachment.
Previously, animal shelters have been made from wood, or more recently, plastic material. Existing plastic material shelters have corners, ribs, or other protrusions which make them difficult to mold, manufacture, and ship. The present disclosure makes for ease in manufacturing and the shelters are stackable for shipping. In practice, a single mold is used to make the housing, and a single mold is used to make the base.
The shelter in this disclosure has a separable housing and base which are easily assembled and disassembled, permitting easy cleaning. The housing and base are held together by a rim band when assembled. When apart, a brush with a pail of water and soap can be used to scrub the shelter or it can be hosed down, keeping it virtually flea proof.
The shelter disclosed in this disclosure is anchored to the ground by a spiral anchor. This arrangement allows the shelter to be moved from place to place by unscrewing the anchor, moving the shelter, and rescrewing the anchor in the desired location.